New Year's Resolution
by HybridDragoness
Summary: Zero constructs a list of New Year's resolutions, but is torn over whether to confess his feelings to Newton or not. Little does Zero know, his little list will cause a lot more trouble than he bargained for. AntipodeanShipping. Rated T for language.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters. This fanfiction contains shounen-ai (boyxboy), you have been warned.  
**Author's Note: This is my first shounen-ai fanfiction, so I hope it's up to scratch for the readers out there. I've fallen in love with AntipodeanShipping, and I am so glad I stumbled upon it, because it has opened the doors for my writing. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. And yes, it is late for a new year story, but I really only finished it a few days ago. Damned inspiration... also, this was originally presented in two parts, so towards the middle there's a bit of a cliff-hanger line, then a scene-breaker line-thingo. So yeah, just a heads up.  
Anyway, enough outta me, enjoy~

* * *

Zero tapped the pen against his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the scrap of paper in his hand. He had been sitting there for the past thirty minutes writing what should have been a short, and otherwise simple list.

_New Year's Resolutions_

_- Get more than 4hrs sleep each day_

_- Clean out - and keep clean - apartment & workspace_

_- Evolve Magnemite_

_- Lose 6lbs_

_- __Confess feelings to Newton_

His last resolution had been bothering him. This had been the third time he had crossed it out; but the moment he had done so, he had considered writing it down again. It would go in a continuous loop, all because Zero couldn't take the regret that would emerge upon crossing it out. Zero dropped his head to the desk, giving out a small frustrated groan.

Zero _hated_ his emotions. Ever since he started researching the Reverse World two years ago, he had found himself becoming more and more distracted by his master, Newton. He had forgotten when he had started calling Newton 'master' as well as the reasoning behind it. It just became the norm. Well...it had to. They worked together everyday of every week!

Zero furrowed his brows slightly. That's where it had started. Working long hours every day next to an eccentric and compassionate scientist. Eccentric...compassionate...humorous...good loo-

"Urghh..." Zero hit his forehead against the desk angrily. He caught himself going on a tangent again. Why couldn't he list these kinds of qualities about _women_ instead? Newton certainly seemed capable.

"_Magnemite~?_" His Pokemon hummed as it hovered around his head. Great, now his Magnemite was concerned. Tilting his head to the side, Zero gazed up at the magnet Pokemon as it twirled in the air; as if to be dancing. Its eye glanced towards the clock briefly before looking back at its master.

Raising his arm onto the desk, he checked his watch.

_8:23PM_

It was getting late - and being New Year's Eve, Zero figured Newton would be heading off pretty soon. He knew his master had things planned; special arrangements for his special someone. New Year's Eve always had that magical air about it, and it seemed that Newton was taking advantage of that.

And that was the problem. Zero was _not_ that special someone.

"What do I do, Magnemite?" The white-haired man was almost desperate now. He needed an outside opinion. It didn't matter whether his Magnemite understood or not, he just needed some form of consolation.

"_Mite?_" The steel type stopped twirling - its single eye gazing down at him. Zero sat up and stared at the scrap of paper in front of him.

"I don't know whether I should tell master or not..." Zero saw his Magnemite's attentive expression fall - quickly turning into one that seemed to say 'not this again'. Despite this, Zero continued. "I mean...what if he doesn't...feel the same?"

The Magnemite merely rolled its eye at Zero, causing him to sigh in discontent. "You're right...it's obvious he doesn't feel the same way," He murmured as he hung his head. "It was stupid of me to think I had a chance against Alina..."

The magnet Pokemon seemed surprised at its master's reaction; eye widening suddenly. He clearly misunderstood the nature of its gesture. Magnemite hovered in front of Zero before giving him a small static shock.

"Ow! What?" He snapped. The steel type resumed its frantic twirls, humming and buzzing as if to speak to its master. When it finally registered its master's confused expression, it resorted to gesturing towards the note, then the doorway. "Y-you...think I should tell him?"

"_Magnemite! Mite!_" Electricity sparked around it as its expression became quite angry.

"Now?"

"_Mite!_" The steel type droned – rolling the pen off the desk and onto Zero's lap. Taking the prompt, Zero took the pen and proceeded to rewrite his final resolution.

"There," He said, sounding almost satisfied as he looked up to his Magnemite. "Happy-"

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" Zero turned his head towards the doorway; face draining almost completely of its colour. At that point, he was sure his heart would stop completely. "I'm late, I'm late!" Hearing his master approaching the room, Zero flew into a panic – thoughtlessly forcing the scrap piece of paper underneath a pile of notes on the desk.

Quickly spinning around to face the doorway again, he was faced with a very flustered looking Newton. He hurried about the laboratory, grabbing his coat off the rack, hastily pulling it on over his lab coat as he made his way to the desk.

"Alina is going to kill me for being late!" Newton said in his panic; opening up his briefcase as he started putting away the papers. Zero watched his master quietly, taking notice of the heavy shadows under his eyes. He didn't even notice his own expression turning both sad and sympathetic.

"I'm sure she'll understand." Zero finally managed to say. This caused Newton to stop; the auburn man looking at his assistant for a moment before sighing.

"You're right. You're absolutely right." The auburn-haired man seemed to relax slightly, cracking the slightest of smiles. Shutting his briefcase – now brimming with untidily packed papers – Newton made his way for the door before turning back to face Zero.

"You should head home early tonight, Zero." Newton advised. "It's New Year's Eve, take it easy, yeah?"

"I intend to…" Zero tried his best to smile back at his superior. At the corner of his eye he could see his Magnemite giving him a condescending look; his chance was slipping away. He bit his lip as he watched his master turn to leave through the front door; a foot outside the lab and-

"Master, wait!" His arm hung half extended towards Newton for a moment. Zero felt his face flush a second time; he was frozen in his place. The words in his head were scrambled as he looked nervously at his master. "I…"

Newton stared back at the young man in surprise – though while he was in a rush, he patiently waited for his assistant to continue.

"I…wish you the best of luck…on your…_p-proposal._" Zero had barely managed to say the last word through his stammering.

"Thanks, I'll need it!" Newton flashed one last smile before leaving; the laboratory now plunged into a cold and empty silence. Zero fell back into the seat which he had been sitting in previously – lowering his head into his hands as he sighed.

"_Magnemite!_" The steel type sounded furious; sparks of electricity were crackling around it as it buzzed at him.

"I know…I blew it…" He murmured through his hands. "It would've been easier if I knew he weren't going to see someone else…" His Magnemite let out a dull drone in response – the sparks now ceased to fly from the Pokemon.

"_Mite…?_"

"I'll never have another chance to tell him, you know?" Zero looked up; tears already formed at the corners of his eyes. Despite his misery, he fought them back. "By tomorrow he'll most likely be engaged to the woman he loves," He continued to stare at his Pokemon floating in front of him. Though its expression didn't change, Zero could tell his Magnemite was sick of the excuses he was making.

Zero had always been delaying in his confession, mainly because he could only see the most likely outcome to be rejection. However, there was always that little bit of hope he held on to; that his feelings were mirrored in his master, somewhere, despite the commitment to Alina.

When Newton had announced his decision to Zero – a week prior to New Year's Eve – the young man had been crushed. He felt completely ashamed of the despair and jealously he felt; when really he should have felt happy for his master. Though amidst his anguish, Zero couldn't seem to bury his infatuation and felt an increasing urgency to confess everything – before it was too late. But now…

Zero quickly fell into a sobbing heap at the desk; face buried in his hands as tears began to spill down his cheeks. He sat there for a few minutes, trying hard to get a hold of himself before reaching blindly for the list to cross out the final resolution. His hand hit the table - not the pile of papers he had been expecting. Believing to have misjudged the location of the notes, he moved his hand across the back of the desk.

Nothing.

Zero lifted his head up from his hand; eyes now wide with fear. There were _no_ papers on the desk – not a single one.

"_Shit!_" Zero flew into a frantic search; looking both behind and under the workspace – hoping in vain that somehow his list had slipped out from between the notes. How the hell had he managed not to notice Newton taking _**all**_of the papers on the desk. If Newton found the list – if he _read _it?

"Shit…shit, shit, shit!" Zero cursed, clutching at his snowy hair he fell back into the chair once more. Fresh tears began to fall from his eyes as he fell into another sobbing fit. "H-he wasn't supposed t-to find out like this…not like this…"

* * *

Newton drove hastily down the highway, trying desperately to make up for lost time. He cursed himself for getting absorbed in his work, especially on this specific evening. Despite his best intentions, he had found himself running late on the one night he had promised himself he wouldn't. _Very_ late.

Whilst overtaking another vehicle, Newton dared to take a hand off the wheel to adjust his dress shirt. In his rush to leave the lab, he had forgotten to get into his formal wear before getting in the car, meaning he had to get changed while driving. To his credit, he had managed to get changed out of his lab clothing and into his dress shirt and trousers without crashing, but he was now finding it difficult to do up each individual button.

The auburn haired scientist managed to do up three of the eight buttons before having to place his hand back on the steering wheel in order to safely turn off the highway. Though he was now driving at a much slower speed, and in denser traffic – Newton thought it better to wait until a red-light before he'd finish dressing himself.

Newton quickly glanced at the clock. It was almost a quarter to nine! He hoped Alina kept faith in him and hadn't left the restaurant. But even if she had, he couldn't blame her. What kind of boyfriend invites their girl out to dinner then arrives almost an hour late?

Newton shook his head. He had to stay optimistic. Besides, Alina was an understanding and forgiving woman. Even Zero had said so, which had made him feel much more confident about the situation.

The brief moment of relief that the thought of Zero brought was quickly replaced with concern. Newton had noticed his assistant had been acting a little…off. While he had known the young man to be quiet and reserved, Zero's sudden vagueness and bizarre anxiety made the scientist curious. The white haired man's turn of behaviour had only surfaced after Newton had told him of his decision to propose to Alina. He felt a frown come over his face as he thought about his assistant's behaviour.

A red light brought Newton's journey to a temporary stop. While it was an unneeded hindrance, he took the opportunity to do up a few of the shirt buttons.

As he thought over the events of the past week, Newton realized just how strange Zero's actions had become. The one that he found most surprising, however, was what had occurred in the lab, just prior to him leaving in his frantic rush. He recalled the hesitation in Zero's shaking voice, his body language and expression. Thinking of this, now, made him doubt his assistant was intending to wish him luck.

The light turned switched to green again and Newton proceeded to drive.

The thought had made Newton wonder. If his assistant had so much trouble wishing him well, what had he originally intended to say? It wasn't like Zero to discourage him from what he had planned to do tonight, seeing as his assistant had been quite supportive of him ever since he heard.

One possibility came to mind soon after Newton had discarded his previous thought. It was an idea he couldn't bring himself to believe. It was completely and utterly _impossible_. Zero _wasn't _jealous, and he certainly wasn't in love-

Newton slammed his foot on the brake, suddenly noticing the light in front of him change to red. The vehicle came to a violent halt, sending everything in the car that wasn't secured or buckled down flying forwards. The clothes that had been thrown onto the back seat of his car now littered the floor, while the briefcase on the passenger seat was thrown against the dashboard. The impact had been enough to burst the latches; the force breaking open the already overfilled briefcase, scattering papers all over the front of the car.

"Crap!" Newton shouted, before realizing just how much he had used the word in the past few hours. He ignored the clamor of angry car horns that droned around him as he threw his tie around his neck. Untidily doing it up, he then leaned across the car to pick up a few of the papers while the lights were still red.

Hearing the blaring horns of the cars behind him once again, Newton saw that the light was now green. He would have to clean them up the next time he stopped. Much to his surprise, the next stop was not a traffic light, but the restaurant car park.

He didn't really care whether he parked straight or not, he wasn't about to waste more time doing so. While he didn't want to dawdle any further, he quickly made his way to the passenger side of the car before searching the mess of paper; looking for the engagement ring he had put in his briefcase, along with his Shieldon's poke-ball.

The poke-ball hadn't been too hard to find, for the moment Newton had opened the car door Shieldon had emerged in a flash of light. Staggering around his heels, the shield Pokemon grunted towards its master. Newton paid little attention to his companion's grievances, however, and focused on finding the expensive piece of jewellary.

Picking up a handful of notes, he shook them lightly before placing them on the car seat. For a minute or two he searched without finding anything. When all the papers had been cleared from the dashboard and floor, Newton began to search under the glove-compartment. Flailing his hands around desperately in the dark, he felt something brush the tips of his fingers. It was a piece of paper – but on top of it was the little velvet box. He would've jumped for joy if he hadn't of been half under the glove-compartment.

Taking both items into his hand, he opened the box to ensure that the ring was still intact and was relieved to see that it was. Newton shut the box with a satisfied sigh and was about to place it in the pocket of his suit when the words 'New Year's Resolutions' caught his eye.

Newton knew his thoughts had been all over the place, but he couldn't remember writing out a new year's resolution. His interest piqued, he pulled the scrap of paper out from under the ring box to look at it more closely.

Reading as he began his hasty walk to the restaurant doors, Newton couldn't help but chuckle at some of the things that had been listed. He could easily tell it was Zero's because of the handwriting. His amusement was short-lived, however, as he came to the final resolution. It had been scribbled out and rewritten a number of times, then left written neatly beneath it all.

"This is what he was so anxious about…?" Newton murmured to himself; not realizing he had stopped in his tracks when reading. To say that he was surprised would've been an understatement. Minutes ago he struggled to believe in the possibility that Zero even had those kinds of feelings for him, but now in his hand was the proof of what he had wished for, for a very long time.

"_Shieldon! Shiel!" _His Shieldon grunted urgently – having already reached the doors of the restaurant.

Newton gazed up at the impatient Pokemon, knowing exactly what it was trying to tell him. With a sigh, he put the list in his pocket – along with the ring – and walked up to his Shieldon's side. The shield Pokemon nodded at its master, urging him to go inside.

Newton knew what he had to do – what he had _planned _to do. Though now he wasn't so sure if that was what he_ wanted _to do. Staring briefly at his reflection in the window, the auburn haired scientist adjusted his tie before reaching for the door handle; still trying to make one of the biggest decisions of his life.

* * *

Newton placed his knife and fork down on his now empty plate and leaned back – gazing up at the woman that sat opposite him. Despite having arrived an hour late, Alina had forgiven him for his delay. He had expected an awkward silence to follow, but instead he found himself engaged in conversation quite quickly; talking as though nothing had happened. But nonetheless, lingering in the back of Newton's mind, there was always the nagging thought about Zero and his damn list.

There was a part of Newton that denied the note to be true, and then there was the part of him that wanted to fully believe in it. For a long time he had tried to bury his feelings – his infatuation – for his assistant. Several times he had come within an inch of blurting out his emotions, but what held him back that little inch was the _fear_. Fear that had lodged itself so deep inside of Newton it stopped him every time he tried to confess.

"…Newton?" He quickly became aware of the concerned expression Alina wore. The way her brows arched almost sadly over her near violet-blue eyes, struck guilty daggers into Newton's gut every time he saw them.

"A-ah, I'm sorry," Newton could only apologize. "What were you saying?" He tried his best to smile for her, but for some reason it felt more rueful than anything else.

He watched as Alina slumped a little – a soft sigh escaping her as a strand of her black hair fell from behind her ear. Her eyes gazed around the restaurant before finally settling on Newton once again.

"Are you feeling alright, Newton?" She asked. "You seem a little distracted tonight… are things okay at the lab?" Her words were oozing with genuine anxiety.

Newton felt awful. This was supposed to be a fun and cheerful evening, and instead he was ruining it with his contemplative silences and troubled behaviour. He blamed himself in advance if Alina became upset. It would always be his fault.

Newton would have to cover it up like he had done before, and bury his feelings inside of him while wearing a smile for his date.

"Everything's just fine," He answered – not realizing how unconvincing he was. "I'm just a little tired, that's all. I spent six straight hours working out details on the Megarig's design." He should've chosen a better set of words. Having mentioned the Megarig, Newton had a brief mental flash of Zero.

Silence lingered between them for a few seconds; Alina staring straight into her partner's eyes as if to read through his façade – which was rapidly crumbling away. The moment Newton drew his attention away from her; Alina spoke to bring it back.

"Newton… Something's bothering you, I can tell." She said – the concern still there in her voice. Alina rested her hand on Newton's, gently stroking with her thumb. "You know you can always tell me anything, right?"

At that moment, he knew there was no use trying to hide it. Over the many years Newton had known Alina, he had realized that she was quite capable of sensing his distress – no matter how well he masked it. While in the many previous cases she had been able to alleviate his qualms, Newton felt that this time, she would not be able to.

"You're right; there is something that's bothering me." Newton admitted. He moved his hand from under Alina's, slowly reaching into the pocket of his jacket. He hesitated – his fingers lingering over the ring box and the note beside it. Alina's expectant expression was unnerving him; he shut his eyes as he reached once again, taking the small scrap of paper into his hand and withdrawing it from his pocket. "It's about Zero,"

Alina's eyes widened slightly – she clearly wasn't expecting her partner's assistant to be mentioned. Nonetheless, she kept her mind open.

"This belongs to him," Newton stated, holding out the list to Alina. "I found it amongst the notes in my briefcase." She watched him warily for a moment, still unsure of what to expect. Taking the piece of paper into her hand, she spared a glance at Newton before reading.

His heart was hammering in his chest – the passing seconds feeling like hours as he waited for his beloved Alina's response. He had no idea how she would react, he didn't know what to expect. She was an understanding woman, yes, but how would she take this? He could only wait and hope that she'd somehow understand.

Newton saw the change in Alina's expression; a brief wave of confusion, then shock – non-dramatic of course. She seemed to read it over a few times before finally looking back up at him. Newton couldn't bear to hold his gaze with her and simply looked to the side.

"Do…do you think he's…in _love_ with you?" The way she struggled to even say the words made Newton feel worse.

"I believe that'd explain his odd behaviour over the past week." He replied quietly, still not looking directly at Alina. "I had told him about something I had decided to do tonight; the reason why I had invited you to dinner. But…" From the corner of his eye he could see Alina's demeanor becoming even more surprised.

"Oh my goodness…" That was all she could manage to say; having correctly assumed what Newton was meaning. Her head was swimming with thought and emotion, but nonetheless she put Newton before herself – recalling his hesitation. "Do you…feel the same way about him?" She asked.

"I don't know, Alina. I don't know." Because that was the truth. Newton truly didn't know whether he returned Zero's feelings, or if it was a mere infatuation brought up from the past.

"Do you love me?" Alina fired off another question. Newton's eyes were wide for a moment – the serious look on Alina's face briefly intimidating him.

"Alina, I- of course I do, but-" He found himself cut off when Alina intervened.

"But you're not sure because of Zero?" She finished for him – eyes still holding their serious character.

Newton opened his mouth to speak, but no words would come. He slouched his shoulders slightly as he gazed off to the side. He felt ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Alina." He murmured.

"If you're not sure about how you feel, go see Zero." She continued as though Newton had not said a word. The auburn-haired scientist brought his attention up to Alina who was staring off into the distance. The look on her face was undoubtedly sadness.

"Alina-" Newton couldn't get another word in.

"Go see Zero and work things out." She said firmly – eyes shut tight. Her brows were half furrowed into a frown – she was fighting hard not to get upset. "If you find that your love has been misplaced in me then I understand." Her tone softened, almost quivered. Newton saw them, the tears that were emerging from her eyes.

"Alina, I-" Once again, he didn't get his turn to speak.

"I don't want to marry a man who isn't fully sure of his love for me." She finished.

* * *

Zero lazily kicked the door open to his bedroom; sauntering to the edge of his bed in an almost drunken manner. He plopped down onto the mattress ungracefully; grabbing the TV remote from his bedside with his free hand. His other hand was holding a large tub of vanilla ice cream – the spoon he planned to eat it with hanging from his mouth.

Flicking on the television, he dropped the remote in front of him before wrapping the duvet around himself – adjusting his pillows to be a back rest. Leaning back, Zero pulled the lid off the ice cream tub and tossed it to the side of his bed. Taking the spoon into his hand, he dug it deep into the soft, icy surface of the ice cream before shoveling a generous amount into his mouth. It was a satisfying feeling – the way the sweet, creamy dessert melted on his tongue. If it hadn't of been for his Magnemite's patronizing stare, it would've been perfect.

"Looks like I won't be losing weight just yet." Zero remarked after finishing his mouthful. Magnemite merely rolled its eye at its master. Taking another spoonful of ice cream, he thought a little on his bad habit. He couldn't even remember when he had started comfort eating in the first place. _"Maybe I should've added it to my new year's resolutions list…" _

The mere thought about the list made Zero's gut churn. He didn't want to think about the outcomes, should anyone – particularly Newton – have found it. Frowning a little, he took another spoonful of ice cream. Yet again he had gotten back onto the thought-train of his master. In an attempt to distract himself, he tried to focus on the television, all the while preparing another hefty serving of his dessert.

Some New Year's Eve countdown show was on – the presenter attempting to convey the evening's proceedings over the wild screaming of the crowd. At the corner of the screen was a small clock that displayed the time left until midnight. There was still a good hour and a half to go.

The cameras shifted to focus on a Pokemon battlefield, relatively close to where the fireworks show was due to be held. Only half focused on the television, Zero gathered that there were quite a few trainers still itching for battles, even on New Year's Eve. While he wasn't even remotely interested in Pokemon battles, he watched the trainers' Pokemon – a Salamence and a Claydol – battle it out, slowly becoming absorbed.

The battles continued for the next half an hour; various trainers presenting their skills in front of the crowds of people. As the action continued, Zero's actions became almost automated; eating spoonful after spoonful of ice cream, eventually working his way near the bottom of the tub. While any normal person would've been sick at this point, Zero didn't take too much notice and continued to eat.

His trance-like state was suddenly broken by a rapid and urgent knock at the door. He frowned a little – concerned as to who would be at his door at this time of night. Turning down the volume of the television, he listened out for another knock – which came soon enough.

"Who is it?" Zero called out loudly – making a slow start for the lounge of the apartment.

"Zero, it's me," The white-haired man stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of his master's voice. His eyes were wide; he could feel his knees tremble just the slightest.

Why was Newton _here_?

He had no reason to be – he had planned to propose at midnight. Could it be that something had gone wrong? Had Alina gotten angry at him for being late?

"Zero," Newton spoke again. Zero's heart was racing. "We need to talk."

Zero shut his eyes tightly – swallowing hard as he began to draw in deep breaths to calm himself. Newton had found his list. It was the only rational explanation for him being here.

His hand was shaking as he reached out for the doorknob; a part of his mind screaming at him not to let Newton in. The cold of the metal caused a shiver to run through his body; his heart hammering inside his chest – beats echoing in his ears. Zero clenched his teeth and did his best to swallow his terror, gripping the doorknob and opening the door wide.

There, standing beyond the door frame was, as he had expected, Newton; hands in pockets and avoiding direct eye contact with him. If it wasn't about Alina, it was definitely about the stupid list.

"W-what did you want to talk about?" Zero stammered. Ignorance was the card he chose to play, for now. Newton gave him a quick glance – one that Zero interpreted as 'you know exactly what I'm meaning'.

"Can I come in?" Newton asked; his voice sounding somewhat off. This made the young scientist feel as though he would die on the spot. He saw a multitude of ways that the conversation could end flash in his mind; none of them were very good. Shutting off the trail of thoughts, Zero stood aside to allow his superior entry.

Newton shuffled past his assistant, making his way into the middle of the lounge beside the sofa. Closing the door, Zero approached the older man as he tried to stop himself from shaking. He could feel his knees weakening from his nerves, and in order to cover this up he sat himself down on the sofa; at the furthest end from his master.

"So," Zero tried again. "What did you want to talk to me about, master?" For a while, the older scientist didn't respond. He seemed to stare of into nothingness, half a frown poised on his face. Zero recognized the expression – his master wore it whenever he was deep in thought; contemplating on a decision.

Zero bit his lip; was he deciding whether to throw him off the project? His heart – which had just managed to calm down a little – started to pound once again. It was starting to hurt.

"Zero," Newton started; his stern voice causing the white-haired man to jump a little. The auburn man started to shuffle his hand in his coat pocket. "I believe this…belongs to you." Withdrawing his hand, Newton held out a small, crumpled piece of paper. Zero felt the knot forming in his gut; a sinking feeling following its formation. It was definitely his resolution's list.

"I found it amongst my papers and…" Newton paused, looking between the paper and his assistant's face. "I wanted to know if you really…felt that way about me."

"Master, I…I'm sorry…" Zero shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to even look at his master. He felt ashamed. Ashamed, embarrassed, and so very angry at himself; he hated himself. He hated himself for ever letting that list fall into his master's hands – no, for ever even _writing _the damned thing. Now he would never be able to be with his master – not ever. Newton would throw him off the Giratina project and never speak to him again.

"What are you sorry for?" Newton's change in tone came as a surprise to Zero, as did the sudden feeling of his master taking a seat beside him. "You have nothing to apologize for, Zero."

Newton's hand landed lightly on Zero's shoulder; a gentle squeeze causing the young man to shiver a little. Zero opened his eyes; looking across to his superior with his slightly amazed expression. He didn't expect what was to come.

His movement had been quick – too quick for Zero to move in response. Newton brought his lips to Zero's, kneading them gently in a light, tender, testing kiss.

He felt his eyes flutter a little at the tingling sensation that Newton's kiss brought him; his curtain beard tickling his chin. How was this even happening? Zero struggled to believe he wasn't dreaming.

Newton drew away, staring into his assistant's half-lidded eyes. The kiss had been brief – but it felt as though it had gone on for ages.

"B-but aren't you- I mean, surely you're-?" Zero couldn't even string his words into a coherent sentence. He had only just regained awareness of the situation; feeling embarrassment by the truckloads for stammering in front of his master like that. Stopping himself for a moment, Zero took a deep breath before he spoke again. "What about Alina? Don't you love her?" He continued; eyebrows lowering into the slightest of frowns. There was a sad look on Newton's face that he had tried to cover with a smile.

"I do," Newton sighed; eyes avoiding Zero's stare. Hearing this, Zero could only lower his own gaze – a sudden wave of disappointment and jealousy. "I love Alina, but Zero, I only fell in love with Alina because I tried to cover up the feelings I had for you." He confessed.

Zero's eyes widened with genuine shock. At this point he couldn't think of anything to say, and so allowed his master to continue.

"I admired you from the beginning. You were the one person who stuck around, the one who believed that the Giratina project could succeed. You toiled night and day, and no matter what, you always gave me results. I became infatuated with you, Zero."

"Master…"

"For so long I've wanted to tell you, but I was scared that if I did, you wouldn't feel the same and would leave. I didn't want you to leave me, Zero." Newton was holding his assistant's face with both hands now; voice nearly shaking from his overflow of emotion. "I buried my feelings for you because of my fear, and becoming closer with Alina helped to bury that…and…"

Zero could feel his eyes tearing up. Having been wound up by fear and anxiety, and then thrown into a sea of new feelings and sensations, he was bound to become more emotional about the situation. He rested his hand against one of Newton's that caressed his face.

"I don't want to bury those feelings anymore…" Newton whispered. He pulled Zero close for another kiss, but before he could his assistant recoiled. "What's the matter?"

Zero turned his head away; his eyes gazing to the floor. "This feels…_wrong_." Newton hadn't expected those words. "I feel selfish... I've stolen you from someone else - someone who loves you and truly deserves your love in return."

Newton stared at his assistant in surprise. He could feel a knot twisting itself deep in his gut. He couldn't think of a way to rectify the situation. Zero felt guilty for something that really wasn't his fault.

"Zero, I told you already. What happened with Alina only happened because of how I felt about you. I've told her about it before I left and she's given me the chance to sort things out." The auburn-haired scientist rested his hand on Zero's shoulder once again. "She said she would understand and accept my decision, if I were to choose you over her." He tensed when he felt his assistant shudder. Though he couldn't see Zero's face, he knew he had started crying.

"And...w-would you?" Zero stammered between his shuddering breaths. That selfish feeling still burned inside of him, but was slowly fading as he watched Newton warily through his tears.

"I already have."

At that point, Zero couldn't give a rat's ass about looking like a crybaby. He let the salty droplets create streams down his face as he practically threw himself into his master's arms. The burning selfishness had faded, replaced by only the long desired feeling of warm, tender-loving comfort.

He shivered a little as Newton's lips brushed against his ear; whispering soft hushes as he rubbed a hand along his back. Those hushes - along with the auburn man's even breaths - were all Zero focused on, slowly working to calm himself down.

Minutes passed before Newton noticed Zero was almost completely settled; the younger man's shudders had ceased. With a light squeeze, he pulled his assistant back, brushing the sweeping white fringe away from his face so that he could gaze into both eyes. Though slightly red and tired looking, Newton could see the glimmer of happiness in the honey-gold irises; confirmed fully by the slight smile on his lips.

"You should smile more often, you know?" Newton remarked as he patted Zero's shoulder, before rising to stand. "C'mon, let's watch the New Years celebrations on TV." His extended hand was quickly taken by his assistant as he pulled himself up.

Their hands remained locked all the way down the short hallway, parting only when Zero departed for the bathroom.

"I left the TV on. The remote should be on the mattress somewhere." With that in mind, Newton entered the bedroom. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the sight of the room. Lit by the light of the LCD screen, Newton could see the duvet piled up at the head of the bed; pillows stacked up as a back rest.

Making his way across the room, he slid out of his jacket, taking care to remove the poke-ball from the pocket. Folding the garment and placing it on the back of a chair, he quickly saw his assistant's Magnemite asleep in the untidy folding of its master's lab coat.

Newton released his little companion from the ball, raising a finger to his lips as he gestured the Shieldon to be quiet. After briefly gazing around the room, the small steel-type curled itself up on the edge of the bed.

Laying himself down gently, Newton gave a sigh of relief. It had been a long day and an eventful one. Though despite the dramas, he felt he had no regrets. Alina had understood and while he felt bad to have left her behind, he was thankful she had let him go.

Smiling to himself, Newton rolled over to reach for the remote he had spotted on his way in. His arm fell short - however - when his attention was caught by something much closer to him. Among the mass of the duvet, he saw an ice cream tub. The moment he picked up the tub - which to his surprise was almost empty - Zero rested himself beside him.

"Zero," Newton began, peering into the container as he rolled over. Zero's content facial expression vanished as he saw what was in his master's hands. "Please tell me you didn't eat _all_ of this."

"There's an explanation for that, master..." Zero had never really told anyone about his comfort-eating habit. There was no reason to. He felt a little embarrassed to have his master find the empty tub - the spoon still at the bottom of it. _"Can I degrade myself further? I'm a crybaby, and now, also a glutton..." _

"No need." Newton chuckled; placing the ice cream tub on the bedside table. "It doesn't matter." With that said, Newton evened out the pillows at the top of the bed before throwing the duvet over both Zero and himself.

There was still twenty minutes left before midnight. As they quietly watched the show hosts commentate and interview various idols and trainers, Zero slowly curled up under Newton's arm. Comfortable where he was, he sighed a little.

This was what he had only dreamed of, and what he now finally had.

* * *

Author's note: So...? Opinions? Leave a review~!

KHue~


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